DETROIT, MI - JUNE 24: A tv broadcast camera is pictured before the MLB baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies Sox and the Detroit Tigers on June 24, 2024 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Tigers released a full schedule for televised Grapefruit League broadcasts on Friday. However, we’re still waiting on the details for Tigers TV and how and when games will be broadcast on local cable providers. The club thought those details would be finalized this week, but apparently we’re not quite there yet. In the meantime, the televised broadcasts this spring will mainly be free games of the day on MLB.tv, so anyone with an account will be able to watch them without paying for a season package. Most of them will also be on MLB Network, with ESPN carrying a March 2 matchup at home against the Braves.
10 of the remainng 24 games are slated to be MLB.tv free games of the day, so they will be available to anyone with an account, even if it isn’t active, with no home blackouts involved. That amount of broadcasts is pretty standard for the Grapefruit League. Most games will be available via the Tigers Radio Network as always.
On top of negotiating out all the broadcast rights in partnership with MLB, there’s also the matter of producing their own broadcasts, so there are a lot of things that may be holding up the Tigers TV package, which will eventually be available on MLB.tv. The Tigers will produce their own home broadcasts March 1st, 7th, and 21st, featuring the teams broadcasters. That probably means Dan Dickerson running the show for the most part, but Jason Benetti should get in at least one trial run with the new setup when he isn’t busy with national obligations covering March Madness.
So for now, if you don’t already have MLB.tv you should be able to just establish an account without purchasing a package, and watch the free games in March. At some point, the Tigers TV package will be ready for order, and we should find out about cable providers carrying the games in partnership with the Tigers along the way as well. At that point, everyone can figure out what’s best for their home viewing during the season.
Feb 25, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) makes the play for an out against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
In 2025, the Rockies started off the year with catchers Jacob Stallings and Hunter Goodman. The veteran Stallings was in his 10th MLB season, and Goodman was in just his third. However, ultimately, 2025 ended up bring not only Goodman’s first full year in MLB, but it was also his first full year catching.
Braxton Fulford eventually emerged, as well, after making his MLB debut on April 16, and finished the season in tandem with Goodman after Stallings was released in June.
Goodman obviously had a career year with an All-Star selection and Silver Slugger award and is looking to build on that, but Fulford is also planning to take the next step in his own career in 2026.
Everyone learned something in 2025 — including myself — but both Fulford and Goodman learned valuable lessons that will carry them into 2026.
“It’s the same game” Fulford said of his biggest lesson. “Just go out there, play hard, and trust your abilities because you’re there for a reason.”
Goodman echoed that, but also added this.
“Even when you have a good season, there’s a lot of rough patches where you go through things and you try and figure things out, so just trying to stay level-headed through all of it,” Goodman said.
“And I think as a team, we learned a lot. We had a lot of young guys play last year and get a chance to get their feet wet. And I’m still young, too, so [it was] good getting that first full season and catching them was really good. So I think we learned a lot and we’re going to go into this year trying to win some baseball games.”
They focused on different things in the offseason. For Goodman, is was about improving himself behind the plate.
“I had a lot of focus on the stuff behind the plate,” he said. “Some receiving stuff, cleaning up some of my throwing. My throwing was pretty poor. It was pretty poor throwing to bases last year, so [I’m] trying to figure some of that stuff out.“
For Fulford, it was more about working both behind the plate and in front of it.
“[I did] a little bit of swing work, just trying to make things more efficient there,” he said. “Catching work, same thing. Trying to clean up different areas that I thought had been better – receiving, throwing. I think a lot of areas felt good last year, so [I’m] just trying to build on those and then clean up different areas that I was inefficient.”
In addition to their own personal work, they — like the rest of the team — are getting used to the new changes the Rockies made to their coaching staff and front office. But they’re excited to see what’s next.
“I love it!” Fulford said.
“There’s a lot of good energy, new ways of thinking, and new ways of doing things.”
He added, “Pitchers have a lot of resources that they can use to improve their arsenals, to make adjustments where they saw deficiencies last year. Same thing with the catchers. We’re going about things differently so that we can get our pitchers in the zone, so that we can attack hitters early offensively. We have more resources there, as well, a whole different way of thinking in regards to the offensive part of the game, too.”
Fulford said, “Specially on the pitching side, we’re getting ahead and staying ahead. We’re not going to worry so much about pinpoint accuracy as we are throwing strikes with a lot of pitches and throwing our best stuff. [We’re] not just trying to throw the perfect location.”
Goodman echoed the “good energy” and said he’s excited to work with both the new and returning coaches.
“I like the hitting coaches,” he said. “Obviously, [Jordan] Pacheco is back from last year and then Brett [Pill]’s been awesome so far. And then just seeing how the pitching coaches are working with the pitchers and how they’re talking to me. I’m just excited going forward. I think the new staff is very open-minded to try new things in Denver, which I think will be good.”
Heading into 2026, both have similar goals.
For Goodman, it’s about “staying healthy and coming out of camp ready to play.”
For Fulford, it’s “want[ing] to put my skills on display, go out there and play hard because I know I’m more than capable of being an everyday catcher.”
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 9: Garrett Whitlock #22 of the Boston Red Sox reacts with Aroldis Chapman #44 of the Boston Red Sox during a Spring Training workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 9, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s pitching preview time, ladies and gentlemen. Over the next several days, I’ll be writing 10,000 words or so about everyone you might see pitching for the Red Sox to start the season.We’re done with the rotation options and are moving on to the bullpen. We’ll start at the back, with the high-leverage options.
Aroldis Chapman
Aroldis Chapman is coming off arguably the best season of his career, believe it or not. He posted a 1.17 ERA over 67 appearances. He was so good that it’s almost impossible for him to repeat that performance, and that’s okay. If he’s even 90% of the pitcher he was in 2025, he’s still one of the game’s best closers.
The key for Chapman is throwing strikes. Last season, he posted a career low 6.6% walk rate. I still have a hard time believing that he was able to start locating for the first time in his career because he actaully started aiming, but whatever the reason for his newfound control, it made him virtually unhittable. His fastballs, a four-seam and sinker, are what he’s known for. They averaged 98 and 99 mph, respectively,
He used a fastball and sinker most frequently; they averaged 98 and 99 mph, respectively, and had strike rates of 74% and 67%. The four-seam had a swinging strike rate of 15.6%, while the sinker had an insane 21.5% swinging strike rate. Those two pitches accounted for about 75% of his offerings, with more four-seams early and sinkers late. Ahead in counts, he turned to a slider that was untouchable, returning a 34% putaway rate and a whiff on about one in every three pitches. He also used a splitter that caused hitters to chase at a 42% rate and whiff on one in every four pitches. The stuff is overpowering, and Chapman was in the zone enough to harness it. It’ll be hard for him to post another 1.17 ERA, but he’ll handle the ninth inning as long as he’s healthy.
Garrett Whitlock
As dominant as Aroldis Chapman was in 2025, the mere fact that he’s Aroldis Chapman is inherently nerve-wracking. He could throw nothing but strikes for two months straight, I’d still be slightly afraid he’ll completely lose control and start handing out walks to everyone. With Garrett Whitlock, that isn’t the case.
Whitlock moved back to the bullpen full-time in 2025 and made 62 appearances with a 2.25 ERA. From August 19 through the end of the regular season, he didn’t allow an earned run. I will not be elaborating on what happened in the postseason.
He was equally effective against both sides of the plate, holding both lefties and righties to an OPS below .600. He both struck out and walked more righties, but the differences were negligible. Whitlock is a strike-throwing machine. Each of his three pitches hold a strike rate over 65%, led by his sinker at 70%. The sinker, due to its shape, functions more like a four-seam fastball. It has two-plane movement with high velocity and elite extension that allows it to miss bats at the top of the zone. Righties see his sinker about 50% of the time, while lefties see it about 40%. He utilizes a slider and a changeup as secondary pitches, 31% and 21%, respectively.
Against righties, Whitlock goes to his slider most often, and it was excellent. The two-strike chase rate was 35% while the putaway rate was 30%. He’s also one of the few pitchers on the Red Sox staff who utilizes a changeup against same-handed hitters. They predominantly came with two strikes, but he’d occasionally flip one in early to steal a strike. It was a solid offering and got righties to expand the zone, but was fouled off more than he’d like in two-strike counts. I’m probably nitpicking, but his pitch plot shows he might have been in the zone or too near the zone, costing him whiffs. As I write this, I realize I’m criticizing a pitcher with a 30% strikeout rate. Ignore me.
Alright, focus back up. We’ve still got his approach against lefties to talk about. Lefties swing and miss at his sinker often, though the contact is louder when they do connect. His changeup is his go-to secondary pitch, and it’s mostly great. It generated a chase rate near 50%, an 18% swinging strike rate, and a paltry 20% ideal contact rate. I say it was “mostly” great because of its performance with two strikes. In 54 two-strike counts, he only recorded three strikeouts. Despite good locations, lefties either fouled the ball off or took pitches just off the plate. His changeup is the only pitch he throws away from lefties, so throwing low two-strike fastballs might be able to freeze opponents and make them respect the changeup. Again, I’m nitpicking a 30% strikeout rate pitcher, but it is a place to improve. Regardless of the changeup’s ineffectiveness in putting hitters away, his fastball and slider each pulled their weight. Each pitch had a putaway rate of 25%, allowing him to keep that strikeout rate high.
Whitlock was one of the most reliable relievers in baseball and should continue to be in 2026.
Around the Division
David Bednar (NYY)
David Bednar was born in Pittsburgh and went to high school in Eastern Pennsylvania before moving across the state to play college ball at Lafayette College. He walked out to Renegade by Styx when closing games for the Pirates, and they still traded him to the Yankees. Kinda messed up if you ask me.
Bednar’s arsenal is similar to Craig Kimbrel’s. It’s high 90s fastballs up, and then he’ll pull the string with a 75 mph in the dirt and make you look like an idiot. He struggled for a stretch in 2025 and was briefly demoted to the minor leagues, but was completely dominant upon returning. I’d love to be a fan of his, but he was forced to put on pinstripes, so I’ll wait until 2027 when he becomes a free agent.
Jeff Hoffman (TOR)
Hoffman was up and down in 2025, most notably allowing a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series. His fastball, slider, and splitter each miss bats at a high rate, but the fastball in particular was hit hard in 2025. Walks were an issue as well; Hoffman handed out free passes to 9.4% of hitters. He also surrendered 15 home runs, although his 37.5% home run per fly ball rate should regress to the mean in 2026. While he’s slotted in as the Blue Jays’ closer now, he might be on a short leash to begin the season.
Ryan Helsley (BAL)
Ryan Helsley comes over to the American League East after spending the second half of the season with the New York Mets, where he really struggled. He throws as hard as anyone, but opponents were able to handle his fastball last season. While his four-seam has always allowed some hard contact, 2025 was an outlier in terms of ideal contact rate. His slider is excellent, returning a 23% swinging strike rate. The Orioles paid him like a closer, so the ninth inning is likely his to lose to start the season. He’s a major bounce-back candidate after a rocky 2025 season.
Edwin Uceta/Griffin Jax (TBR)
Pete Fairbanks took off for Miami, so the Rays have an opening at the back of their bullpen. While they likely won’t have a designated closer, Edwin Uceta and Griffin Jax are two names likely to get late-game opportunities. Uceta throws a flat fastball from a near-sidearm release with a crazy delivery that gives hitters a really difficult time, and follows it up with a changeup with great fade. He gets a ton of strikeouts, but was prone to the home run ball in 2025. He also has a lingering shoulder injury that puts his status for opening day in question.
Jax came over from the Twins, and I have no idea why Minnesota let him go. His sweeper and changeup each have swinging strike rates over 20%, while his fastball has a solid shape and great velocity. He leaves the ball over the plate some, which was punished in 2025, but his strikeout numbers are off the charts. It seems that the Rays want to use him in the bullpen, but you could convince me that he could succeed in a rotation. He’ll also represent Team USA during the World Baseball Classic.
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Marco Odermatt has taken a giant step towards retaining his World Cup downhill title this season, leading a Swiss sweep Saturday in the first men’s race since the Milan Cortina Olympics.
More good news for Odermatt was that his closest challenger, teammate and Olympic gold medalist Franjo van Allmen, was not part of the Swiss trio on the podium.
Odermatt just barely edged out Alexis Monney by 0.04 seconds, with Stefan Rogentin coming 0.98 seconds behind in third. Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr and Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni shared fourth.
Von Allmen had costly mistakes halfway through his run down the Kandahar course and finished 1.47 second behind in sixth.
The result means Odermatt increased his lead over von Allmen to 175 points in the season standings with two races remaining. A race win is worth 100 points.
It felt like redemption for Odermatt, who arrived at the Olympics as a gold-medal favourite in the downhill but finished fourth.
“It was certainly a bit of a revenge today, too,” said Odermatt, who won the World Cup downhill title the past two seasons and is also a strong favourite to win his fifth straight overall Crystal Globe this year.
The fascinating duel between close friends Odermatt and von Allmen has dominated the downhill season.
Odermatt started his campaign with back-to-back wins and later added a victory at the classic Wengen event, but von Allmen hit back with two wins, including the last race before the Olympics a month ago in Crans-Montana, where Odermatt failed to make the podium.
On Saturday, though, von Allmen could not keep up with his rival.
“I was a little bit too direct, also not central with my body, sat down in the back, and was pretty tired. In the end, too direct and not smooth enough,” said von Allmen, who was one of Alpine skiing's stars of the Olympics with three golds from the downhill, super-G and team combined.
Odermatt's 54th career win put him level with Austrian great Hermann Maier in third position on the men’s World Cup winners list. Only Ingemar Stenmark (86 wins) and Marcel Hirscher (67) won more races. The overall record is held by American standout Mikaela Shiffrin with 108 World Cup wins.
“My idol always was Didier Cuche when I was a kid,” Odermatt said. “But it’s incredible to get level with Hermann.”
Several skiers sat out the race a day after they crashed in the final training session Friday, most notably France's Nils Alphand and Finland’s Elian Lehto.
The French ski federation said Alphand sustained a right shoulder and rib injury and would be out for at least three weeks. Lehto suffered “injuries to the chest area and lower limb that require hospital monitoring” but “are not life-threatening,” the Finnish ski federation said on Instagram.
A super-G on the same hill is scheduled for Sunday.
New York Islanders - 33-21-5 - 71 Points - 6-4-0 in the last 10 - Won 3 - 3rd in the Metro.
Columbus Blue Jackets - 29-21-7 - 65 Points - 8-2-0 in the last 10 - Lost 1 - 4th in the Metro.
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Columbus had its season-high seven-game win streak snapped in the first game following the Olympic Break with a 4-2 loss at Boston on Thursday.
The Blue Jackets, who open a stretch of five-of-six games played at home on Saturday, have won four consecutive home games since Jan. 22 and earned points in eight-of-nine contests at Nationwide Arena in 2026 (7-1-1).
Since Dec. 22, the Blue Jackets have gone 15-6-1 (31 pts, .705 points pct.) and are among NHL leaders in team save percentage (.910/3rd-T), points (5th-T), goals-against per game (2.59, 5th), penalty kill pct. (83.3 pct./5th-T), points pct (6th-T) and goals-for per game (3.41/12th).
The club has scored the opening goal in 11 of the past 13 games and has scored the first goal in 35 contests (24-7-4), tied for third-most in the NHL in 2025-26.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle ranks sixth-T in the NHL in scoring since Jan. 24 with 5-7-12 and four multi-point efforts in seven games.
Adam Fantilli posted his eighth multi-point effort of the season with 1-1-2 on Thursday and has totaled 2-6-8 in the past seven contests. He has set a single-season career high in assists with 14-24-38 in 57 games in 2025-26.
Boone Jenner (207-203-410, 784 GP), who is the club's all-time leader in games played and ranks third in goals and points, is one assist from tying David Vyborny (204) for third-most in CBJ history.
Mason Marchment collected his third multi-point outing as a Blue Jacket with two assists on Thursday. He has totaled 9-6-15 in 15 games since making his debut with the club on Dec. 20.
Zach Werenski helped Team USA capture a Gold Medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics (1-5-6, 6 GP). He collected an assist on Thursday to tie his career-high points streak at eight games (2-9-11) originally set from Nov. 15-Dec. 1, 2024 (5-11-16). He also has points in 21 of his past 23 games played since Dec. 11 (11-22-33, 10 multi-point efforts).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.6% - 19th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 77.2% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 176 - 17th in the NHL
Goals Against - 180 - 17th in the NHL
IslandersStats
Power Play - 16.1% - 28th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 81.5% - 9th in the NHL
Goals For - 169 - 22nd in the NHL
Goals Against - 160 - 4th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheIslanders
Columbus is 28-23-1-7 all-time, and 19-7-1-4 at home vs. New York.
The home team is 11-3-1 in the last 15, and 5-0-1 in the last 6.
The CBJ have killed off 9 of 10 NYI power plays.
The winning team has won by multiple goals in seven of the last nine meetings overall, including five-straight at Nationwide Arena.
Each team has recorded a 2-0 shutout victory over the past five contests played at Nationwide Arena.
The Jackets have killed off 9-of-10 Islanders power play attempts over the last five contests played in Ohio (90 pct.).
CBJ have recorded five shutouts in the all-time series (MR: Merzlikins, 26 saves in 2-0 W at CBJ on Oct. 30, 2024).
The teams have averaged a combined 58.5 shots on goal in the past six meetings of the series.
Who To Watch For TheIslanders
Bo Horvat leads the team with 24 goals
Mathew Barzal leads NYI with 35 assists and 52 points.
Ilya Sorokin is 21-13-2 with a SV% of .915.
David Rittich is 12-8-3 with a SV% of .900
CBJ Player Notes vs.Islanders
Zach Werenski has 15 points in 25 career games vs. the Islanders.
Boone Jenner has 16 points in 34 games.
Mason Marchment has 5 points in 10 games against New York.
Injured Reserve
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 19 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 156
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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels is congratulated by Zach Neto #9 after hitting a solo home run, his 404th career home run, during the first inning against starting pitcher Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. #43 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 28, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last week, Angels owner Arte Moreno made a bit of a scene by saying that the team’s fans aren’t “overly concerned with winning.” His claim, based on fan surveys, said that visitors to “the Big A” are more concerned about things like affordability at the ballpark. While there’s something to not wanting to spend an arm and a leg just to go to one baseball game, I feel like Angels fans would also like to win, but that’s just me.
That being said, in recent years the team has had Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani — and still employs one of them — but hasn’t really had much to show for it, as one famous tweet points out.
every time I see an Angels highlight it's like "Mike Trout hit three homes runs and raised his average to .528 while Shohei Ohtani did something that hasn't been done since 'Tungsten Arm' O'Doyle of the 1921 Akron Groomsmen, as the Tigers defeated the Angels 8-3"
— ℳatt (matttomic.bsky.social) (@matttomic) May 18, 2021
Their 11-year absence from the playoffs is the longest in baseball and they last finished over .500 a decade ago. Despite all that, there are still people attending Angels games. If Moreno means what he says on the affordability front, this year would be a good one to prove that he cares about that, since I don’t think the winning thing will be changing in 2026.
Los Angeles Angels
2025 record: 72-90 (5th, AL West) 2026 FanGraphs projection: 74-88 (5th, AL West)
As mentioned, the Angels still do have half of their once all-world combination in Mike Trout. While he did appear in 130 games in 2025 having missed a lot of time due to injury in previous seasons, he’s definitely not the Mike Trout you remember. He was still a pretty good hitter, posting a 120 wRC+, that’s a far cry from where he was in his prime, not even factoring in that his defensive ratings have taken a dive. He put up only 1.8 fWAR last year, when the previous season he appeared in over 100 games — 2022 — he put up 6.0. Projections still expect him to be a decent hitter, but he had a hard enough time trying to drag the Angels to the playoffs at his peak, never mind now.
The issue with the Angels’ lineup in general is that, Trout included, they just don’t have a ton of guys you can project to be middle order stalwarts. FanGraphs projects seven Angels regulars to put up a wRC+ over 100 in 2026, which sounds decent. It’s just that the highest of those projections is Trout at 117. That’s lower than what Ben Rice is projected to do for the Yankees, and Rice is not the projected best hitter for the Bombers.
That being said, the Angels do have some possible solid contributors. The likes of shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel have the makings of solid contributors and are both younger than 26. There’s just not much going on in their lineup that makes you really take notice.
Their situation on the pitching front is somewhat similar: they have some guys that could put up solid numbers but no one who looks like a capital-A “Ace.” They did acquire Grayson Rodriguez from the Orioles and Alek Manoah, formerly of the Blue Jays. Both those guys have been top prospects in the not so distant past, so maybe they could mine some gold out of one of them.
Besides Rodriguez and Manoah, the Angels acquired a bunch of “oh hey, it’s that guy(s)” this offseason. Other additions for them in 2026 include Josh Lowe, Drew Pomeranz, Kirby Yates, and Jordan Romano.
One person you will not be seeing for the Angels this year is Anthony Rendon. If you look up the Angels’ roster, you’ll still find Rendon listed — probably with the injured list distinction — but he and the Angels came to an agreement to rework his contract, effectively ending his time with the team, and probably concluding his MLB career.
In order to actually be a good team, the Angels would need to have guessed correctly on a bunch of coinflips. It’s technically possible, just hard to do. That being said, they’ll still probably take two of three over the Yankees in Anaheim in some stupid fashion.
More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.
The San Jose Sharks may have acquired forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks just last month, but the gritty forward is right back in the rumor mill.
If the Sharks end up shopping Sherwood, let's look at three teams that could make sense as landing spots for the 30-year-old winger.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are having a great year, as they are at the top of the Atlantic Division standings. With this, they will be buyers at the deadline, and one of their needs is another impactful winger in their middle six. Due to this, it would not be surprising at all if they made a serious push for Sherwood. He would not only give them a skilled forward with an edge but also would come at an affordable price for the Bolts.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche were often connected to Sherwood before the Sharks acquired him from the Canucks. Due to this, it would make sense if the Avalanche pursued him again leading up to the deadline. Sherwood would give the Avalanche's forward group a nice boost and would provide them with another player who is built for the playoffs.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27: Luis Castillo #58 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the first inning of the spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Peoria Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s another latercap, brought to you by my charming inability to plan ahead and impetuous decision-making, which has led to me sitting in the parking lot of this Peoria Lowe’s using their free wi-fi to push out a recap of a 3-1 Mariners loss to the Diamondbacks that will be as stale as old coffee tomorrow, but the completist in me insists. Plus, I worry we are already reaching the stage of spring training where the games are boring, and we haven’t even seen all the WBC guys leave yet; that will happen tomorrow or the next day, and the minor leaguers will flood into camp tomorrow, and then we’ll really see from boring.
There was a point today where I was driving through Utah for the eighth or eight hundredth hour and I found myself utterly sick of being overcome by appreciation for the natural world (I believe I said, out loud, in the direction of one particularly comely rock formation, “okay, enough with the striations already, I get it!”). Look, anyone who’s looked at B-roll of Arizona spring training can tell you, it’s beautiful. But you can only look at so many breath-stealing dramatic vistas and sandcastle rock formations carved by an ancient and unintelligible force and marvel at it so many times. That’s a little what it feels like, being sick of spring training games already.
I had good intentions with the cap, I promise. I started from Twin Falls today with the intent of reaching Flagstaff, a hefty chunk of driving but one that would leave me a manageable piece for the final push to Peoria the next morning. I planned to listen to the game, type out the recap post-dinner, sleep in Flagstaff and awake very very early the next morning (Show-up time for the media in Peoria is around 7:30 or 8, always an unpleasant shock to the national writers when they drop in). I assume the Mariners also had good intentions with the game, ones that went quickly awry as Luis Castillo surrendered a three-run home run in his spring debut, and they failed to get anything going against Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson, also making his spring debut. A boring, bad game, but that’s what spring training is for us, too, as fans, right? Get the calibration early for the particular irritation in Rizzs’s voice when he says “the Mariners LEAVE a man.”
Castillo had a good first inning, opening with a strikeout of Jordan Lawler on a four-seamer that lit up the gun at 96.3. He sat pretty consistently in that first inning at 95-96 mph, which is a significant shift from what we’ve seen with the slower-building Castillo in previous years. Unfortunately, that clean first didn’t transfer into the second inning; James McCann got a fastball in he turned on for a single, and then Ildemaro Vargas pounced on a first-pitch fastball that came in at 94.3 and too much on the plate for a hard-hit single. Castillo did rebound by undressing top DBacks prospect Ryan Waldschmidt on three pitches, steadily climbing the ladder with 95 mph heaters, and then looked to have A.J. Vukovich – who I would have sworn up and down was an Athletics prospect – on the ropes in a 1-2 count, but Vukovich battled for seven pitches and eventually was able to get under a sinker above the zone and send it over the fence for a three-run shot.
Meanwhile, Nelson didn’t allow a hit and struck out three in just two innings: he got Rob Refsnyder looking at a perfectly spotted 97 mph pitch at the bottom of the zone that catcher James McCann challenged and won, which, okay, and he also bowled over two of the young guys, striking out Brennan Davis on a cutter and picking apart Cole Young in a three-pitch sequence that ended with him whiffing at a 97 mph fastball right on the plate. Ouch.
Davis and Young would get their revenge later off reliever Taylor Rashi; Davis opened the inning with yet another hard-hit single, punishing a poorly located slider at 108.8 mph. I’m sad to miss all the guys who will be leaving for the WBC literally right as I’m coming in to camp, but I’m very intrigued by what Davis has been doing this spring and look forward to seeing more. He was followed by another post-hype prospect who’s been having a good camp, Will Wilson—on in place of Miles Mastrobuoni, who got the start at third—with another single to put runners at the corners with no outs. Young did put the ball in play, getting the Mariners’ lone run of the day on an RBI groundout, but having also gotten a slider that looked to be well in the zone you’d like to see more than a okay-ish-hit ground ball.
And that was pretty much it for the offense in this game, as the Mariners bullpen did their jobs and hung zeroes, racking up nine strikeouts among them (although two were Castillo’s, two belonged to Gabe Speier making his final appearance before the WBC, and two to Casey Lawrence in a two-inning outing; Vargas, Ferrer, and Zulueta had the other three). But the offense didn’t hold up their part of D-ing the Z, striking out a combined 10 times. One costly mistake from Castillo, and the Mariners found themselves on the short side of the contest, a boring, unsatisfying affair that will certainly be lost to the annals of spring training history.
My own costly decision was made on the heels of a soggy, tissue-paper-crusted pizza and too much time at the table with my atlas (yes I still use a paper atlas, yes I am a dinosaur, leave me alone I like to see a map all at once in a large format). Phoenix wasn’t that far. What if I just did the drive tonight? I could do that. What was another couple hours in the car after I’d already done twelve or so. It’d be fun! Spontaneous! And most importantly, done at night so I didn’t have to see another single stupid red rock with my fully-smacked gob. We are full up on natural wonders here! All good on Earth’s majesty, thank you.
Ah, perhaps you have already spotted the flaw in my plan of not arranging lodging before driving to Phoenix, where it is a) spring training and b) the weekend and c) apparently a gathering of all the world’s bartenders and every single hotel, motel, Holiday Inn within 300 miles is sold out?
Which brings me to the Shell travel plaza in Black Canyon City, which I landed on after being out of options, driving around aimlessly and bored. Maybe I am not the first person to do a five-step Korean skincare routine at 2 AM in the bathroom/parking lot of said travel plaza; not if you judge off the demeanor of the overnight clerk, an affable older woman whose nametag read Nancy and whose wrists jingled with silver bangle bracelets and who I would follow into war. As I walked back to my vehicle, a little woe-is-me-and-my-bad-planning about the prospect of curling up in the backseat for a nap, I heard a rustling in the bushes next to the car and assumed it was a straggler from the road wandering up towards me; city instincts took over, triggering a wariness and watchfulness.
Instead, a gray donkey appeared between the scrub oaks and gazed at me with big, brown unblinking eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a donkey, a real one, not as part of a manger scene. In a petting zoo somewhere? “That is a donkey,” I said out loud and to no one.
I went inside to tell Nancy. “There is a donkey outside,” I announced, because it was important for it to be said again.
Nancy was not as surprised as I was by this information. “Oh yeah, there are packs of them around. There used to be a petting zoo on the other side of the mountain but a bad storm knocked it all over and they escaped and bred and now they kind of live all over here.” She pointed at the token bowl of fruit every gas station keeps by the front door like a totem to ward against the gastrointestinal crimes perpetuated throughout the rest of the store. “Sometimes I get to feed them,” she said, not a little smug.
What a privilege it is, to be bored, when there are donkeys everywhere for those with eyes to see them.
Ahead of the March 6 NHL trade deadline, one Eastern Conference team has been blowing up the Philadelphia Flyers' phones more than others.
As it turns out, Flyers forward Owen Tippett, who will have minor trade protection kick in on his contract this summer, has a group of admirers in the northeast.
On Friday, Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco reported that the Boston Bruins are a team that has called about Tippett "several times this season."
"One name the Bruins have checked in on several times this season is winger Owen Tippett, who is under contract for six seasons beyond this one at an AAV of $6.2 million," Di Marco wrote.
"The Flyers aren’t looking to move the 27-year-old winger by any means but are open to discussions, though the price to get him out of Philadelphia would have to be significant. The Bruins feel like Tippett brings a different style of game and a versatility that they are lacking."
On the other side of the equation, Di Marco mentioned Bruins center prospects Matt Poitras and Dean Letourneau as players of interest to the Flyers, as well as left-shot defenseman Mason Lohrei.
Given the Flyers' logjam at the winger position, it would appear, on the surface, to be a no-brainer to move someone with Tippett's value to acquire players at other positions of need.
Letourneau, a 6-foot-7 center and 2024 first-round pick, was absolutely awful for Boston College last season, scoring just three assists in 26 games.
This year, however, has been a completely different story, and the 20-year-old has exploded for 19 goals, 15 assists, and 34 points in only 31 games.
It's been well-documented how the Flyers have loved to draft for size over the last two drafts, and Letourneau would certainly fit right in. Size aside, he's also a decent skater and has real puck skills to boot.
As for Poitras, the 22-year-old former second-round pick already has 69 games of NHL experience with the Bruins, scoring seven goals, 20 assists, and 27 points.
He's the least attractive option of the two centers, but Poitras does have the skill the Flyers need down the middle.
Lohrei, 25, was notably selected by the Bruins (58th) after the Flyers had selected Emil Andrae (54th) in the 2020 NHL Draft, and now the American blueliner could very well find himself tapped to replace his Swedish draft classmate.
Andrae's 5-foot-9 size does not appear to jive with what the Flyers are trying to do with their defense corps in the long-term, while Lohrei, who is 6-foot-5 and has 69 points in 171 games, can move the puck equally well while being capable of doing more physically.
As Di Marco noted, Lohrei carries a $3.2 million cap hit and could be jettisoned in an effort to create further cap space for the Bruins.
From the Flyers' perspective, Lohrei is an RFA again in the 2027 offseason, so there aren't going to be any significant financial or long-term commitments they're bound by if things don't work out in Philadelphia.
If the Flyers can swap Tippett for any combination of these players, especially given that Porter Martone will arrive soon and Tyson Foerster will eventually return from injury, the organization will be setting themselves up nicely to ice a much more well-rounded and competitive roster in the near future.
In the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman discussed the Montreal Canadiens and mentioned that they have been exploring options on defence. The insider said:
“You know the Canadiens, I do think they’ve looked at some of those Ds guys like Ristolainen or guys like that.”
Friedman failed to mention who else would fit into the “guys like that” category, but looking at Ristolainen, I struggle to see how the Philadelphia Flyers would be a viable option for the Canadiens. Of course, he’s a right-shot defenseman, and he’s big at 6-foot-4 and 208 pounds, but he doesn’t play big. In just 21 games this season with the Philadelphia Flyers, he has landed a total of 21 hits. That’s hardly the kind of contribution they’d need in the playoffs.
Furthermore, the last time he played a full 82-game season was back in 2015-16 with the Buffalo Sabres. He’s suffered multiple right triceps tendon ruptures, which have led to multiple surgeries over the years, and this season, he didn’t start playing until mid-December.
The Canadiens already have a couple of defensemen on their books who are very good on paper but have sustained more than their fair share of injuries on the ice: Kaiden Guhle and David Reinbacher. Do they need a 31-year-old who has another season to go with a $5.1M cap hit? Unless they have concerns about Reinbacher and think he needs more time in the AHL, it would be a puzzling move for the Canadiens’ brass.
I believe if the Canadiens move before the deadline, it will once again be a Kent Hughes surprise move, one that seems to come out of left field and that wasn’t in any of the rumours. The Habs have always been a tight-lip organization, and I’d be surprised if that changed anytime soon.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 26: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks the ball during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on February 26, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First of all, I have to say this- the Spurs have ELEVEN consecutive wins. The Spurs have hit 11 total straight wins on eight previous occasions. Two of those were during Championship runs. The first time was late in 2002-2003 season when they won their second NBA title. They also kicked off their 2013-2014 campaign with an eleven game streak. Later that season they eventually had a nineteen game run, their longest in franchise history, but hopefully that will be a discussion for a future post.
In the 2011-2012 season, they accumulated two 11-game streaks over the final 10 weeks of the season. This led into a sweep of the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, followed by a sweep of the Clippers in the second round, and eventually taking a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
They eventually lost to the younger OKC squad in the next four games, a most disastrous outcome after amassing a 20-game overall winning streak. But even then it was obvious the team was onto something special. They made the Finals the following two years, coming up short in 2013 and then dismantling the Heatles super team — and picking up their fifth Larry O’Brien — in 2014.
The Spurs had one 12-game streak at the start of their 2010-2011 season. They could repeat this feat on Sunday, but it will not be easy.
To win twelve straight they have to beat the New York Knicks, the third best record in the Eastern Conference, in Madison Square Garden. So far this season, they split games with the Knicks. They lost the Emirates Cup Finals (which did not effect their overall record but did supply the Knickerbockers with bragging rights). However, they did win at home on New Year’s Eve when Julian Champagnie finished with a team-high 36 points on 11 three-pointers.
The Big Apple native definitely likes playing to his hometown crowd. Champagnie must mark his calendar for those New York opponents as the Spurs sharpshooter scored 26 points while hitting 6 of 9 three-pointers against Brooklyn on Thursday night. If he can maintain that intensity, he and the Spurs could ride the game into Philly on a 12-game heater.
What do these streaks mean? Most directly, it’s an impressive show of strength and an alignment of players and goals. In a few cases, they are a build up to a title run. In others, it’s just a sign of where the team is at that specific moment in time.
This season, between December 27 and January 13, the Spurs went 4-6 losing by double-digits to Utah, Cleaveland, and OKC. In that moment, most pundits were not considering the Spurs for title contention despite them beating the Thunder in 3 of their 4 meetings.
Now, as the Spurs have shown resilience against the top teams, the streak helps illuminate their emergence as a contender at a quicker pace than originally anticipated.
That said, any streak must be taken with a grain of salt in the same way a blowout loss or two is not the end of the world.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Grayson Allen #8 of the Phoenix Suns celebrates with Collin Gillespie #12 after making a three-point shot against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming into Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns were struggling. Losing four of their last five, they shot under 38% in their four contests since the All-Star break ended. Their lone win was the first time a team had won a game since 2023 when shooting worse than 35% from the field. On top of all the struggles, the team is decimated. Their top two scorers, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, remain out, while Jordan Goodwin, one of the team’s most reliable bench players and defenders, is also sidelined.
Despite the struggles and injuries, the Suns had a lot at stake going into Thursday’s game. Obviously, any game against a division rival carries some inherent stakes, even when divisions are essentially irrelevant in the standings, as they are in the NBA, but the matchup had massive seeding implications.
The two teams are neck and neck in the standings. Before the game, the Lakers were two games ahead of the Suns for the final playoff spot, the last one that avoids the play-in tournament, where just two bad games can derail an overall strong season.
With the two teams playing at least five times this year because of their In-Season Tournament finishes, one will have the clear tiebreaker, which is uncommon when many teams play each other four times in a season.
Going into Thursday, the Suns were up 2-1 in the season series, but Thursday’s game was the last time the two will face off in Phoenix during the regular season. Phoenix wins around 60% of their games at home, while they’re a .500 team on the road. With a win, the Suns would secure the season series over an opponent they are close to in the standings.
To start the game, the Suns struck first, going up early, taking a 17-9 lead. Then Los Angeles responded, controlling the rest of the first, until the Suns took the first double-digit lead of the second. Going into halftime, the game was tied at 49, and coming out of the third, the Lakers went on an 11-0 run. The Phoenix offense looked like it did just two nights ago against the Boston Celtics to start the second half: cold and unable to hit shots. They scored just 11 points in the third against their 97-81 loss to the Celtics on Thursday.
As Phoenix struggled, Grayson Allen had different plans. Coming in off the bench early in the third, Allen became a human flamethrower, scoring 16 points and hitting four threes in the quarter. Phoenix turned what was once a 12-point lead into an 80-80 game with 12 minutes left.
In the fourth quarter, the Suns got up big until Luka Dončić did what he typically does to the Suns: cook them. Just like Phoenix had done earlier in the game, the Lakers turned a double-digit deficit into a tie game. With 22 seconds left and the game knotted 110-110, Phoenix had the ball and a chance to win the game, and Royce O’Neale took advantage of the opportunity.
After a night of ups and downs, coming in shorthanded and playing the Lakers, who were nearly at full strength, Phoenix pulled out the victory. Allen and Collin Gillespie led the way, and O’Neale hit the dagger, but many who aren’t typical contributors had big games. Rasheer Fleming had his best game as a pro with his 8-point third, and newcomer Amir Coffey chipped in a few triples.
Phoenix is now just one game back of the Lakers for the sixth spot and secured the season series, something that could be crucial for the final standings. The Suns now have four days until their next game, where they’ll face the Sacramento Kings, who have lost 16 of their last 18 games. Devin Booker could be back playing by then.
Considering the stakes, the injuries, and the mental resilience the Suns needed, was Thursday the Suns’ best win of the season?
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Richard Fitts (35) throws a pitch during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
A week of spring training is in the books and we finally have real life actual Major League Baseball games to talk about. There have been some fun moments with Rainiel Rodriguez doubling in his first at-bat and JJ Wetherholt going yard to dead center yesterday afternoon. I will refrain from caveating observations with spring training small sample size disclaimers. The results thus far certainly don’t mean much, but there are still a few underlying data points that are worth highlighting.
Richard Fitts was impressive in his first spring outing, throwing two scoreless innings. Notably, Fitts’ four-seam fastball averaged 97.6 MPH compared to a 2025 average velocity of 95.9 MPH. If this velocity gain sticks, it will be the continuation of a trend that saw Fitts’ velocity increase over his last six starts of 2025. Fitts’ four-seamer had above-average induced vertical break (IVB) of 17 inches in 2025 and this increased to over 18 inches in his first spring training start. Carlos Martinez is the only Cardinals starting pitcher to have a fastball velocity above 96 MPH over ten or more starts in the Statcast era. With a starting rotation starved for fastball velocity, it is hard to imagine Fitts not breaking camp in the rotation if he stays healthy this spring.
Jose Fermin hit the hardest ball of his career against Miami, clocking one at 111.4 MPH on a single to left. His previous career high was 109 in Triple-A. One batted ball is the definition of small sample size, but it will be worth watching to see if he can increase his damage on contact. I don’t think Fermin needs to change anything to be a productive hitter, but he would become even more interesting if he could increase his power without sacrificing too much contact.
Quinn Mathews has had a rough start to spring training from a results standpoint, walking four batters and hitting two in his first 4.1 innings. Mathews walked over seven batters per nine innings in Triple-A last season, so it goes without saying that he will need to iron out his command before he is given a crack at the St. Louis rotation. On the positive side, his fastball velocity is up to its 2024 levels thus far after losing a tick last season. Mathews spoke at Winter Warmup about refocusing in the weight room over the offseason. He admits that he is not a naturally strong person, so it is critical for him to get his work in to be able to create the force necessary to throw a baseball. Topping out at 96.7, as he did in his first spring start, is a good indication that he is back on the right track. If his command ever does return, having his A-fastball to go along with his devastating changeup and slider will make him a real weapon.
Of the ten or so interesting Class A and Class A+ pitching prospects, Mason Molina was the first to pitch in a spring training game. Kareen Haq, one of the best Cardinals prospect prognosticators, tweeted a summary of his pitch metrics following his one-inning cameo.
Mason Molina’s fastball is sick. He averaged 94 MPH on it today with 21.3” of IVB from a 5.9’ vertical release. pic.twitter.com/mrpi28909C
The highest IVB, which measures the coveted perceived “rising” fastball, last season in all of baseball was 20.9 inches by Alex Vesia of the Dodgers. This is the type of outlier trait the front office has started to target in trades and the draft over the last year. Molina has plenty of warts as a prospect, but his fastball gives him some legitimate upside potential. Molina has 11 High-A starts under his belt, so a promotion to Double-A to start the season would be a bit aggressive, but he will be a player worth keeping an eye on when the minor league rosters are announced.
Jack Gurevitch smoked a ball at 114.1 MPH against the Astros on Thursday. Gurevitch maxed out at 117 MPH in college, but it is still good to see the exit velocity translating with wood bats. Only Jordan Walker and Willson Contreras have max exit velocities higher than 114 MPH the last two seasons for the Cardinals. Gurevitch has been a bit of a forgotten man in a deep Cardinals system, but the team must really like his bat to have spent a third-round pick on a player that is likely to be a first baseman as he moves up the ladder. Alec Burleson and Luken Baker are the only other first basemen the Cardinals have spent a top-three-round draft pick on in the last ten years. As an advanced college bat, he could be a quick mover if he hits well out of the gate.
Minor league camp is now fully underway as well. Games will not begin for another week, but the first bit of news came out on which DSL players would be coming stateside, with 14 players in total making the move. As expected, the talented group of hitters includes Juan Rojano, Sebastian Dos Santos, Miguel Hernandez, Kenly Hunter, and Royelny Strop. I wrote a bit about this group of prospects earlier this offseason, with the only player not making the jump being Yeferson Portalatin. Yaxson Lucena made the jump stateside at the end of last year.
Of the eight DSL pitchers coming to the US, the highest-profile are Branneli Franco and Reiner Lopez. Franco was arguably the top pitcher in the 2024 class, receiving the largest bonus of any pitcher at $800K. He has a fastball that can hit the upper 90s and posted solid numbers last season, albeit in just 16.1 innings. Reiner Lopez has been on the radar even longer after signing for $500K in 2023. Lopez has remained a person of interest because of his towering 6’8” frame. Lopez turns 20 in April and will need to start making progress soon as he is Rule 5 eligible after next season. The Cardinals have given plenty of pitchers from the Florida Complex team opportunities to move up to Low-A in-season, so it is not outside the realm of possibility that either pitcher could make a full season debut this year.
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: Taijuan Walker #99 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the second inning of a spring training game against the Washington Nationals at BayCare Ballpark on February 26, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today is the last day where all players will be in camp before many depart for the WBC and prepare for the tournament. That means we’re about to see a lot of minor league pitching taking the mound, which could lead to some interesting scores in the upcoming weeks.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 06: Bryan Rust #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins checks Vincent Trocheck #16 of the New York Rangers during the second period at Madison Square Garden on December 06, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (30-15-12, 72 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ New York Rangers (22-29-7, 51 points, 8th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 12:30 p.m. ET
How to Watch: National broadcast on ABC
Pens’ Path Ahead: Things are about to get busy for the Pens, who are back home for a 1 p.m. ET matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow and then go on to play five games over the next nine days.
Opponent Track: The Rangers are still looking for their first win since the Olympic break after blowing a 2-0 lead in what became a 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
Season Series: The Pens and Rangers split this series early in October (the Penguins won 3-0 in New York before losing 6-1 at home five days later) before the Pens just barely held off the Rangers from a comeback in a 6-5 win at home on Jan. 31.
Hidden Stat: The Rangers are tied for the fewest home points (17) and fewest home wins (six) of any team in the NHL after going 6-15-5 at Madison Square Garden so far this season. (The Pens rank sixth for road wins after compiling a 16-7-5 record in away games).
Getting to know the Rangers
Projected lines
FORWARDS
J.T. Miller – Mika Zibanejad – Gabriel Perreault
Will Cuylle – Vincent Trocheck – Alexis Lafrenière
Conor Sheary – Noah Laba – Brendan Brisson
Tye Karate – Sam Carrick – Taylor Raddysh
DEFENSEMEN
Vladislav Gavrikov / Adam Fox
Braden Schneider / Will Borgen
Matthew Robertson / Vinent Iorio
Goalies: Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Squick
Potential scratches: Urho Vaakanainen, Jonny Brodzinski, Scott Morrow
Injured Reserve: Adam Edstrom, Matt Rempe
The Rangers sent Brennan Othmann back to the AHL yesterday after claiming Tye Kartye off waivers from the Seattle Kraken. Kartye was a regular healthy scratch in Seattle, but he’ll see if he can get back to the form that saw him post 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 77 games of his 2023-24 rookie campaign with the Kraken. He could be making his Rangers debut today against the Pens.
Kartye could be poised to get more opportunities given the number of trade rumors surrounding the selling Rangers. Players including Braden Schneider, Vladislav Gavrikov and Vincent Trocheck have been popping up in the rumor mill lately.
Both Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox, who had each been sidelined since early January, returned to the Rangers’ lineup Thursday. So was Sheary, who had missed 15 games with a lower-body injury.
Despite his team’s overall struggles this season, Shesterkin ranks top-10 in both save percentage (.912) and goals against average (2.47) among goalies who have made at least 20 appearances this season.
The Rangers are without their leading producer this season after trading Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings earlier this month.
Even with 34-year-old Panarin playing on the West Coast, the Rangers are being led by their veterans. Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller, all 32, lead the Rangers in points without Panarin.
Alexis Lafrenière ranks fourth on the active roster with 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 58 games. His 0.52 career points-per-game rate is the fourth-lowest among former No. 1 picks with at least 400 NHL games played, per ESPN.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Avery Hayes – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard (?) / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner
Potential Scratches: Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Ilya Solovyov
IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany
Sam Girard, who missed Friday’s practice while being evaluated for a lower-body injury, is traveling to New York with the team.
Stuart Skinner has a career 5-1-1 record against the Rangers, although he was in net as the Pens narrowly avoided blowing a late lead against the Blueshirts back on Jan. 31.
The Penguins are 13-3-3 since acquiring Egor Chinakhov in December, a 19-game stretch over which Chinakhov has recorded 13 points (nine goals, four assists).
Kris Letang is heading into today’s game just two points shy of 800. He could be the 21st defenseman and fourth active blueliner after Brent Burns, teammate Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman to reach the milestone.
